For much of his football career, Lamar Jackson has been at the center of the chatter.
When things are going well, it's good. When it's not going so well, the critics come out.
That's how it's been over the past week, as a local columnist questioned Jackson's work ethic, his relationship with Head Coach John Harbaugh, and proposed that the Ravens should explore trading their superstar quarterback.
Jackson got his chance to respond to it on Thursday, as he stands poised to make his return from a back contusion and play in Sunday night's AFC North title game in Pittsburgh.
Jackson is clearly in a good mood and fired up for the game, and he didn't have much time for the chatter.
"I don't really care about the criticism. It's going to be that way, especially with how the season was going and stuff like that," Jackson said. "When you're winning, there's no noise. But soon as you lose, or things don't look right, all types of noise come out of nowhere. So, it is what it is."
One aspect of the report alleged that Jackson stays up too late playing video games and falls asleep in team meetings.
"Do you think Harbaugh would let me fall asleep in his meeting? That's crazy. I'm right in the front," Jackson said with a laugh.
"I heard that I [was] playing a game at like one or two in the morning. I don't even do that during the summer, so I don't know where that comes from either."
Jackson and Harbaugh have been together since 2008. Asked whether they have a good relationship, Jackson responded, "Yes, I believe so. Like I said, I don't know where the noise came from."
Jackson's salary cap hit jumps to $74.5 million next season, which has elicited more chatter about whether the Ravens will reach a contract extension with him this offseason. Asked if he wants to be in Baltimore, Jackson made it clear.
"Absolutely, man. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I don't even know where that comes from," Jackson said.
"We have to focus on winning right now. So, contract talk can be after the season or whatever, but during the season, I'm locked in."
Jackson Plays to Wear Protection Around His Midsection
After a knee to the back left him with a painful contusion in the game against the New England Patriots, Jackson plans on wearing more protection in Pittsburgh.
He wore extra padding under his jersey at practice on Wednesday and plans to use it when facing the Steelers.
"I'm trying to keep my back protected, so yeah, definitely [will wear it]," Jackson said. "I think I played with something similar my rookie year, but I just stopped wearing it."
Jackson said the back contusion was "extremely nasty" and that he didn't start feeling better until Monday.
Jackson also said he heard chatter questioning his toughness with exiting the Patriots game and not playing last week in Green Bay due to his contusion.
"I always want to play football. But I felt like my brother [Tyler Huntley] could pull the win off for us because I wouldn't be able to do anything. I was really hurt," Jackson said.
"I don't know why I hear things … I never quit on my team before. I never quit anything, to be honest. I don't know where that noise comes from. … Someone probably thinks I'm a robot, but I'm a human being, too. Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid that injury."
Zach Orr Preaches Playing With Poise
The Ravens and Steelers are bitter rivals and they'll be in an elimination game with the division title on the line.
As cornerback Marlon Humphrey said on Wednesday, "It'll probably get a little chippy."
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said the first thing he brought up with his unit was to play with poise.
"It should be exciting; it's an exciting time. This is what you work for. You have the opportunity to go win a division championship and then clinch a playoff spot, which is every NFL player's dream," Orr said.
"But you have to keep your poise. The game is going to be played within the white lines. The field is not going to get any bigger. You just have to lock in play-by-play, and then you have to move on, whether it's a good play or a bad play. You have to play the next play until the game is over."
Linebacker Roquan Smith is known for his physicality, and both teams are out to be the more physical one on the field Sunday night. But Smith doesn't want to see extra stuff going on after the whistle.
"I always think in the game of football, [when] people are doing stuff after the whistle and things like that, it doesn't really reveal how tough you are. What reveals how tough you are is what you do between the lines," Smith said.
"I would say myself [that I am] one of the toughest ones out there. I'm not one to do stuff after the whistle and things of that nature. You show your manhood by how you do it during the whistle, and I think it's going to be a physical game."
Ravens Waive Ben Cleveland
The Ravens have waived guard Ben Cleveland, who was eligible to return this week from his three-game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy.
Cleveland played three offensive snaps in 10 games this season. A third-round pick in 2021, the hulking Georgia product made seven starts over his five seasons with the Ravens but didn't seize the job either of the past two seasons when he had the opportunity.
Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele have been the Ravens' starting guards all season and rookie Emery Jones Jr. is their top backup.
